Camp Excel gets kids off the couch

By Will Hutchison| July 11, 2016 at 9:42 PM CDT - Updated July 24 at 3:18 PM

(Source KSWO)

(Source KSWO)

LAWTON, OK (KSWO) -A camp aimed at getting kids off the couch and in workout mode is happening in Lawton this week.

Camp Excel is taking place at the Patterson Community Center and it's for any child the between the ages of eight and 12. Monday, the kids participated in several activities, including dodge ball, tug of war, sack races and jump roping.

They've got a pretty busy week lined up with a robotics expert on Tuesday with some hands-on learning activities. On Wednesday, a wildlife refuge employee will teach the kids archery. On Friday, the kids will take a field trip out to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge to explore.

"My favorite part of it was when we got to dance, like the Running Man and the Boogie," said Tanyia Tate, a camp participant.

"Dodgeball, because we got to move around and I love dodging people," Shaun Lund, a camp participant.

Patterson Community Center activity coordinator Katisha Wiley says this camp has been going on for several years and is the direct result of one societal problem.

"I think technology has taken over a lot of experience and activities that we use to do when we were growing up, so they don't really have a lot of people skills when it comes to dealing with kids their own age. This makes them come together and learn to be a team and they get to have fun and they're not thinking about their phones," Wiley said.

Wiley says the camp allows children to interact with their peers. She says all any parent has to do is drop their kid off.

"It's totally free, they're on a lunch program for this week, no worries all you have to do is bring them and that's it. Let them be a child," Wiley said.

Lund says the kids who come to the camp can take a lot away from it, just like he is.

"I come here to have fun and learn stuff that I don't know and get smarter and have fun," Lund said.

Parents can bring their kids to the Patterson Community Center between July 11 and July 15 at 10 a.m. and fill out a waiver for their child to participate.

The Patterson Community Center will also host glow-in-the-dark dodgeball every day from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for kids between the ages of 15 and 18.